During a meeting organized by LoBDA at the China House, Brookfields in Freetown, the Chairman of the Lower Bambara Chiefdom Descendants Association (LoBDA), Mr Fyeston Bockarie, on Sunday 29th October 2023, disclosed that the LoBDA has requested that, to seek the best interest of the people, the chiefdom should be represented in the Sierra Diamond Mining Company, and that going forward, he wants LoBDA issues to top the news agenda in the country and abroad.
According to Mr Fyeston Bockarie, Lower Bambara is a Class A Chiefdom, endowed with rich natural resources, but lamented that it lacked basic services like good roads, communications, electricity and water supply, and called on members of the Association to be firmly united to fast-track development in the Chiefdom, intimating that he has engaged the company for over three hours on various issues affecting the development of the Chiefdom, and appealed to all to take the meeting seriously.
The Chairman also denied allegations of large environmental degradation of the Chiefdom by Sierra Diamond Mining Company, revealing that the company has employed 85% of locals, with 43% from Lower Bambara Chiefdom, and assured that more locals would be employed, as well as others appointed, especially women, to senior positions when the company expands its operations, with a 50 million dollars investment portfolio.
According to the Chairman of the LoBDA, due to the current drop in the world price for diamonds, the company is not making much profit at the moment, and the payment of surface rent to the Chiefdom has been suspended, due to legal and constitutional issues, and that the LoBDA would work with the company to implement projects with the 10% Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Le1 billion that would be paid to the Chiefdom.
He also enlightened that 45% of staff are indigenes from Lower Bambara Chiefdom, with some in key positions.
Mr. Fyeston Bockarie furthered that the company pays Le100 to each household to evacuate before blasting, take pictures of houses before and after the blasting, to compensate houses that would be damaged, that discussions have been held with the company to establish a Technical/Vocational Training Center to train locals, as well as a library.
Other issues that were discussed were the holding of Zoom meetings, production and sale of membership cards, and presentation of the Member of Parliament to the Chiefdom scheduled for 10th December 2023, for which a Committee was set up to organize the program and convening of the Annual General Meeting that should be hosted rotationally by sections.
The Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. RugiatuTarawalie-Mustafa, disclosed that she has shipped medical supplies for the hospital, as well as seedlings for onions, tomatoes, pepper and other vegetables to be distributed to the people.
The meeting was also informed that the renovation work on the Tongofields Hospital is ongoing. At the same time, a pre-assessment visit to the Chiefdom on the proposed agriculture project has been done, but the road network and communications are the major challenges for the establishment of the LoBDA farm.
A Committee has been set up to visit the mining area on 3rd November 2023. The meeting was also informed that members contributed Le12 thousand towards the medical operation of the LoBDA Secretary General in India and that the operation was successful.
Other topical issues that were discussed included payment of monthly contributions, fixing of the road network, organization of fund-raising activities and award of scholarships to students.
Highlights of the meeting were the reading of the minutes of the last meeting, matters arising from the minutes and their adoption, the financial report and the report of the Committee to explore a suitable land for agriculture. The meeting was postponed to mid-November 2023.
